Planning boards



Feb. 11, 1958 T. B. PARKER ET AL PLANNING BOARDS Filed NOV. 2, 1955 INVENTOR. THEODORE B. PARKER ROBERT G. WILLARD Unite States 2,822,632 PLANNINGBOARDS Theodore B. Parker, Hamilton, and Robert G. Willard, Cincinnati, Ohio Application November 2, 1955, Serial No. 544,474 3 Claims. C1. 4043 atent Another objectof the inventionis to provide simple,

efiicieift and practical means to enable users and operators to 'quikly arfd conv'eniently' move or slide cards or other indicia transversely and longitudinally of the card holding stri s.

(inter objects and novel featnres oftheinv'ention will bjeeeni'eapparent from the descripn' onwhich follows,taken irtcon'nection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is-aplan elevational'view of the'chart, with parts broken away;

Fig. 2- is'asect'io'n'take'n on line z- 2'- in Fig. 1, with parts basket away and-showing acard being attached to the chart;

Fig. -3- is' the same seetional view showing a card attached to the chart';

Fig? 4- 's the same' section showing "a card being removed estate chait. g

Fig."iis an enlarged'view of 'a portionof'a strip;-and

Fig. 6 is a si'de'view of a chart" showing -a modification of the invention Iii the preferred construction of the invention we provide the display'board oi chart 1 which in part comprises the foundation panel oisup'port 2adapted'to be lit'liig' orr a wall or placed many otherpositionsuitable fsr usei X The panel Z'mayb'e formed from any suitable material as' plyw' 'ood," plastic, metalwoodor the like, and of any desired-shape or configuration appropriate to the desires of the individual. For convenience and practical usage 'the anel 2-is-"illustr'ated as of' substantially rectangular shape. Thehorizontal'top edges; the vertical side' edg'es' 4 and 5 ;=andthe horizontal bottom edge 6 ofthe panel are sepositionedfor' convenience". Nevertheless the chart maybe suspended'froma wall, supportedby an easel or simply utilized in other-respects, as in a filing cabinet, for convenience of the user with either side edge 4 and 5 at thetop'or' uppermost position, the'top edge 3 and the Bottom edge 6'in' vertical or' other selected position.

Suitably attacliedto the front surface 7', ofthe panel 2, as by'nails'S, are-the elongated strips or plates 9 whose middle'portions- 9 are substantially of concave-convex formation. Preferably the strips or plates'9 are formed of springy, flexible material as metal, plastic, or other suitable material for the purposes hereinafter explained and described. As'many strips 9 as'desired' by the user may be attached to the panel 2 which may be of any size and shape-to aecommodate the various cards.

The' upper edge or side 10; or each strip 9, is substantially flat to conform with the formation of the front surface 7 of the panel'2 in contact with which the flat side rests. Theflo'wer edge or side of each strip 9 has a hook ort'roughflike portion'l'l formed thereon. The hook 11 extends the full'length of' the strip9 and comprises the rear vertical leg 12' spaced apart from and parallel with the front vertical leg 13whereby the groove 14 is formed or provided at the lower edge of each strip.

2,822,632 Patented Feb. 11, 1958 A plurality of strips 9 are fastened to the front surface 7 of the panel 1, and with the upper strip 9 overlapping the next adjacent lower strip and with the lower edge of the leg 12 of the hook 11 in contact with the con: vex outer surface 15013 the concave-convex middle portion- 9 of the strip. V V

As-illustrated particularly-in Figs. 1 and 2 the strips 9 are arranged in parallel overlapping relation and with their convex sides 9" disposed forwardly of the panel 2 These strips arereta-ined iii-stationary 0r fixed positions, with respeet to the panel '2 and withres'pect to each other, by' the nails '8 received through'the upper flat edge-10st) that the lower edge ofastrip is located forwardly and insubstantial contactwith" or adjacent the convex portion 9 ofthenexflower'strip'wherby-a plurality. of elongatedcards orsheets "16 may be'manually positioned betwedthevaiioiis-stfipsand held urid'er'pies'sure in ase- Iected" and pred'eterniined" position, as shown in Fig' 1. Also, afrectar'iglilaf 'c'ard 16' or a plurality thereof canes manually 'att'ac'hedt'o "thech'art, as shown inFig. 1;

The cards or sheets 16 and 16f may be made of paper, plastic'or similarmateri'al which at least has a relatively modefate coefiici'en't" or resilience because it is advantageous, in isome're'spe cts as hereinafter explained, that the cardshave sdmefl xibility and resiliency andwill spring backto or near to their original shape after bein'g bent or distorted. Also, the cards maybe" provided in anydesired color'or"combination of colorswhen it is desired to give distinctiveness to the display board or chart-or enable theoperator to quicklyand conveniently segregatevarious see us-or the chart. Any desired color scheme, combination oi variationsmaybe used such as dihere'nt colors in eaehselected area or section. Snitable signs; pictures, letters, words, numerals, or othei i'ndicia 17 ma be paintemrinted or otherwise =p1aced' onthe frontside 17 of each card 16 and 16'; Thisfeatureis particularly advantageous when i is considered-"and realized'that'thechart Z-hasa' versat ty of uses 'in-"a wide variety ofapplica'tions-such as 'pi'dueti'on'or development schedules, load charts} bar-graphs, personnel rcJst'eis;or"- ganiz'ation charts, merchandise price" lists, directories; indexes, and the like.

I An operation of the invent-i'on is, as*fellows i A ca'id 16 whose leiigth m ayor may not beisiifli'cien't w stern the full length ofthe strips 9"is manually aspee bytfie person (not shown) or operator. The' op'erator manually forces the up er'ed e '18 of the card between the hook 11 of o e strip, and the concave-eonVex pertien-15 of the next upper strip until the lower edge 19 of thec'ard is above the upper edgeZ'O of the leg 13 of the hook'1 1, -as' shown in Fig. 2. Whenslidingthe upper edge 18of the card between the stripstheloweredge or hook' ll of the upper plate maybe, :if desired, man'ually' forced or'sprun'g outwardly from contact with the adjacent convex surface 15. The'operatonmanuallyforcesthelower edge 19 of the card rearwardly'toward'or in contact with 'the con vex su'nface 15, of the adjacent s'tiipafter which the oper= atoi', by manual contact with the 'duter'surface-ofthe card 16, forces or slides-thecard downwardly until its'lower edge 19 is receivedin the-groove 14, as shown in Fig; 3, whereby the upper edge '1-8of1he card is retained in stationary position between the -*hookll'of the adja'eentand nextupper strip9andthe convex surface 15 of then'ext lower strip, and the lower edge19 is inthe roove 14' the convex surface 15 and the hook 11 of the next lower 4 adjacent strip. Therefore, when the operator desires to remove a card from the chart 1 he, simply with his fingers, forces or slides the card 16 upwardly until its "lower edge 19 clears or is above the upper edge of the leg 13, of the book 11. When the operator removes contact of his fingers on the card the resiliency and flexibility of the card ordinarily will cause the lower edge 19 to move outwardly from the front of the panel 2 and at an angle thereto and to the position or near position shown in Fig. 2, and the operator can conveniently grasp with his fingers the lower edge 19 and manually slide or force the card downwardly causing the upper edge or top of the card to slide from between the contacting hook 11 and the convex slide 15 of the engaged next upper strip.

Sometimes a card may be formed from non-resilient or non-flexible material, or a resilient and flexible card once afiixed to the chart may by dampness, wetness or other reasons become non-resilient or lose its flexibility and, therefore, permanently assume the shape of the strip against which it is held while on the chart.

In case the resiliency and flexibilityof the card 16 is insuificient to cause its lower portion to spring or move outwardly from the panel 2, as shown in Fig. 2, after the lower edge 19 is slid upwardly and above the top edge of the leg 13, of the hook 11, the lower edge 19 nevertheless will be spaced from the adjacent convex surface 15, as shown in Fig. 4, to enable the operator to conveniently insert a finger or finger nail. between the adjacent convex surface 15 and the lower edge 19 of the card, because the lower edge 19 of a non-flexible, nonresilient and non-springy card will be molded to the shape of the outer or front surface of the strip 9 against which it was previously held. Therefore, the lower edge 19 of the card which has been positioned in the groove 14 and between the vertical leg 12 and the vertical front leg 13 will extend at an angle, as shown in Fig. 4, from the outer or front surface of the adjacent strip 9. This is so because the lower half of the convex surface 15 curves upwardly and outwardly or forwardly, whereas the leg 12 is perpendicular and when the card, molded to the front surface of the strip 9, is moved upwardly a short distance the lower end of the leg 12 contacts the lower portion of the convex surface 15 thereby causing the formerly perpendicular or vertical lower edge 19 of the card to protrude or extend forwardly and downwardly from the panel 2 and the adjacent strip 9, as shown in Fig. 4.

The card 16 is inserted on the chart 1 by the same procedure above explained with respect to the card 16, except that the card 16' spans one strip whereby the lower edge of card 16 is received in the book 11 of the strip whose upper edge is adjacent the hook of the strip having the convex surface which the upper edge of the strip contacts and is retained there against as by the hook of the next upper strip.

Cards or sheets of various heights and lengths can be conveniently attached to and incorporated with the chart 1 as by inserting the top edge of the card or sheet between a hook and the adjacent convex surface of a strip and then manually pulling the card or sheet downwardly to insert its lower edge into the groove of the suitably positioned lower strip.

In Fig. 6 is shown a modification of the invention in which the board 1 has attached thereto the flexible plates 21 each of which has the concave-convex middle portion 21. The rear leg 22 of the hook 23 is curved forwardly and is integrally connected with the lower edge 24 of the concave-convex middle portion 22. When installing a card or sheet 25 on the chart, the upper edge of the card is slid between the hook 23 and adjacent the convex surface 22, and then the card 25 is slid downwardly with its lower edge positioned in the groove 26, as shown in Fig. 6.

While we believe that the form of the invention illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is efficient and practicable yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption and utilization of our invention will necessarily vary, we desire to emphasize that changes in the details may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, as

efined in the claims.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A display board comprising a panel, a strip fastened to the front of said panel and having a middle section withan area on its front and having a lower flat perpendicular section at its bottom and adjacent said area, and having a trough like means integral with said flat perpendicular section to receive the lower edge of a card,

' means forwardly of said strip and said panel in contact with said card to releasably hold said card under pressure whereby said card can be manually moved upwardly to remove the lower edge of said card from said trough like means, said convex area adapted to force the lower edge of said card forwardly from contact with said strip to enable an operator to conveniently grasp the lower edge of said card with his fingers to pull the card from between said strip and said first mentioned means. a

2. A planning board for releasably holding a flexible springy card, and comprising a vertical panel, a strip fastened at its top to the front of said panel and having a middle section with a convex area on its front and having a lower flat perpendicular section at its bottom and adjacent said convex area, and having a trough like means integral with said lower fiat perpendicular section to receive the lower edge of said card, springy means intermediate said strip and said panel in springy contact with said strip to releasably hold said card in contact with said convex area whereby said card can be manually moved upwardly between said strip and said springy means to remove the lower edge of said card from said trough like means and allow the lower edge of said card to spring forwardly from contact with said strip to enable an operator to grasp the lower edge of said card with his fingers and pull the card downwardly from between said strip and said first mentioned means.

3. A planning board for releasably holding a card, and comprising a vertical panel, a strip fastened at its top to the front of said panel and having a middle section with a convex area and having a lower section at its bottom and adjacent said convex area, and having a trough like means integral with said lower section to receive the lower edge of said card, springy means intermediate a portion of said strip and said panel and in springy contact with said strip and adapted to releasably hold said card in contact with said strip.

References Cited in the file of this patent 2 UNITED STATES PATENTS 173 ,5 l 6 

